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  Introduction
  • Welcome to the 1st lesson!

    Weaving in Epirus, and in Zagori in particular, represents a valuable part of the cultural heritage of the region. This form of folk art, which has become part of everyday life and has been handed down from generation to generation, is more than just a simple technique. It is an expression of the history, identity and social conditions of the region.

    The weavings of Zagori, with their colourful patterns and traditional techniques, offer an opportunity to observe the past, revealing not only the artistic skill of the weavers but also the way of life of the inhabitants of the region. The use of the loom reflects the autonomy and self-sufficiency of families, as well as the role of the household economy in terms of survival and local community.

    Discover a tool with an extremely interesting and ancient history that leads to the creation of an equally fascinating art, that of weaving. The Rizareios Handicraft School of Monodendri, bequeathed by the national benefactors Mantos and Georgios Rizaris, is active in the field of weaving. The aim of the School is to preserve the traditional arts, which today tend to disappear. According to the will of its founders, the aim of the school is to promote the educational, cultural and social development of the Zagori area and to provide vocational training for the young people of the region.

• Section 1: Historical Review
  • From Penelope, Circe and Calypso to the present day, a tool with a long history is used to weave history! The loom is one of the oldest handcrafted tools. Discoveries place its initial stages in the Palaeolithic period. The archaeological, anthropological or ethnographic research carried out to date has determined the evolutionary path followed. The usage of materials and the application of improved weaving techniques determine the types of looms used today to be the same as those of the first millennium AD.
    
    The usual findings in the old houses include a large number of weaving tools, e.g. weaving boats and others, indicating that weaving, especially in the mountainous settlements of Epirus, was one of the most important occupations. These were prominent in the employment and economy of the region, as well as in its culture and tradition.
    
    Wool was one of the most important products of the livestock sector of Epirus, so it was in relative abundance, and this is something that the inhabitants took advantage of. Weaving developed on two different levels, as a domestic craft, to meet the family's needs for clothing and household equipment, and as a commercial activity. It is therefore a functional and efficient project, which the Rizari School of Handicrafts highlights and promotes in the best way, and the vision of the late Rizari brothers is implemented daily and contributes to the promotion of the value of the circular eco-economy and can become a means of artistic expression and creation.

• Section 2: Types of Looms and Weaving
  • There are many types of looms, although their basic parts are not significantly differentiated. Based on the vertical or horizontal alignment of the warp threads and the size, the types of loom are defined, the main ones being vertical and horizontal. The traditional and the Armenian loom, respectively.

• Section 3: Armenian Loom
  • Armenian Loom
    
    It is a traditional seated anophantarium, with a hanging scallop made of four sticks connected at the bottom with four thick planks and four more at the top, often made of cypress and walnut. The warp is wound on a cylindrical wood, and the threads, which pass one by one through the mitres, end in the teeth of a wooden comb. The weaver, with her feet pressing on the footrests, lifts the mitres up and down. On this loom, the fabric is wound on a roller at the front of the loom. The Armenian loom is used to weave fine fabrics (linen-cotton-silk), crochets, frames, tablecloths, curtains, etc.

• Section 4: Traditional Loom
  • Traditional Loom
    
    The fundamental principles of weaving on the vertical loom do not differ from those on the horizontal loom. They differ in the direction of the warps, which are stretched vertically to the ground between the two beams. And the fabric is formed at the bottom of the loom.With the traditional loom, products such as coarse bedding, rags, Flokati rug, bahtas, etc. can be produced.